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We tested solar chargers to power our adventures near and far, from massive panels for camping to ultra-portable models for backpacking. These are the best of the best.
There are so many portable solar options available and we can help you figure out which one is best for your needs.
Looking for the best solar charger for travel, remote work, or powering your backcountry adventures? Our gear experts have been testing solar panels for well over a decade. We've tested well over 100 different portable solar chargers and best camping solar chargers to help you find the right panel for your next adventure. A solar panel can keep the devices you rely on charged when you're deep in the backcountry, whether that's camping, boondocking, backpacking, or traveling. We put each of these chargers through their paces in a myriad of locations and conditions. We hit the trails with them on backpacking trips, used them when car camping and working remotely, charged our cell phones on overnight adventures, and brought them with us while traveling by car, van, truck, train, and airplane. Whether you're looking for the best solar panel for travel, work, or play, we've compiled this list of the best options for each type of charger.
If you like getting outside and staying out there as much as we do, you'll love this. In addition to our solar reviews, we've also tested the most promising portable chargers to pair with your solar setup. You might like our reviews of the best backpacks to find one suitable for carrying on your travels and adventures. If you're backpacking, check our list of the best backpacking backpacks for men and the best women's backpacking backpacks. If overlanding is more your thing, take a look at the best rooftop tents and these great canopy tents for making your perfect basecamp. No matter where your adventures may take you, we can help you stay powered up, and we've rounded up a packing list to help get you there.
Editor's Note: Our solar charger review was updated on April 30, 2024, sharing some additional details on our testing process.
The Jackery SolarSaga 100 once again is our favorite high-wattage solar charger. This lightweight panel is more affordable than most 100-watt solar panels and also performs as well as the best of them. It's user-friendly and effective in full and partial sunlight. If it's a sunny day, this panel charges your devices quickly, and it works well on cloudy days as well. When it's time to pack up camp, the SolarSaga quickly folds flat and weighs just over 10 pounds. The low weight and simple fold-in-half design make it easy to load into your car, so it's always ready for your next adventure. It has tons of useful features that make it portable and exceptionally useful, including a built-in handle that makes it easy to carry. The legs fold out easily and quickly. With a USB-A, USB-C, and a DC output, you can plug this directly into your solar power station or power any of your devices straight from the panel. The DC charging cable is hardwired into the panel and stowed into a zipper pocket along with the USB charging ports. This solar panel impressed us in every way, making it an excellent addition to any off-grid solar setup.
Even though the SolarSaga 100 is relatively lightweight and folds flat, it doesn't fold down as small as many other 100-watt panels we reviewed. It only folds once, so its folded size is quite wide. At the same time, this single fold means it's thinner than many other models in our lineup. It's about as packable as other panels, but you'll need a slightly wider space to fit it. Also, the single-fold design makes it faster to pack away than most other models, making up for its slightly larger packed size. If you are shopping for an all-around great 100-watt solar panel for your camping adventures, look no further than the SolarSaga. If you're looking for a more portable option, we also love the user-friendly BioLite Solar Panel 100, and for our favorite of the smaller portable models, see the BigBlue SolarPowa 28 below.
Of the smaller panels, the BigBlue SolarPowa 28 is the top dog of portable solar chargers. The BigBlue is impressively efficient in its charging capabilities and performed the best in all our testing of portable solar panels. This model is the fastest portable model we tested, and it delivers consistent charging even as conditions change. Whether it's cloudy or sunny, you'll get good charging capabilities from this model. It has three USB ports, which lets you keep all your electronics charging simultaneously so they're ready when you need them. And when you're ready to move on, this panel folds up small enough to fit in your backpack.
The SolarPowa 28 isn't the absolute fasting charging portable panel, but it still charges fast enough. And if you need an ultralight solar option, this panel also might not be the best choice. At 21.8 ounces, there are certainly lighter models out there to consider, like the Goal Zero Nomad 5. But if you need a lot of consistent power in a relatively portable size, the BigBlue is a great option we highly recommend. And it's pretty affordable to boot.
In terms of larger 100-watt solar panels, the BigBlue SolarPowa 100 ETFE is the best value around. This model costs significantly less than pretty much every other panel we tested. But that's where the differences stop because this performs almost as well as the more expensive large solar panels. It's lightweight and portable with a carry handle and foldable, ultra-portable design. You can easily load it into your car and unload it at a campsite quickly. It has fold-out legs, so you can point it directly at the sun to maximize low-angled morning and afternoon light. It comes with a variety of adapters that make it compatible with most power stations from any brand, eliminating the need to purchase additional cables or adapters. This adds to the already great value of this panel.
The SolarPowa 100 is a great solar panel for the price. It's easy to use and effective, and it comes with a variety of adapters, so you can charge most devices. However, it doesn't have a pocket or other storage case for those adapters or the main storage cable. We ended up transporting this with the cables wrapped around the panel, which worked but wasn't ideal. Overall, we think the SolarPowa 100 is a great, high-value option for anyone looking for a reliable and affordable solar panel. If you're seeking something that's fully waterproof with fast charging speeds, the EcoFlow 110 can do the job in a more portable package and a similar price range.
When you're adventuring outside, a fast-charging portable solar panel is key. The X-Dragon 20W quickly charges all your devices in a small, reliable package. This 20W portable solar panel isn't particularly expensive and works with reasonable speed, charging all your devices quickly. It has a high conversion rate, so this panel charges well under sunny skies and on overcast days. Each of the X-Dragon's panels generates up to three amps, which is an exceptional amount of charging capacity for any USB device. It's also lightweight and hangs up easily, making it a solid choice for quick juice-ups on the go.
The X-Dragon folds down to the size of a notebook, so it isn't the smallest portable panel out there. But it unfolds into three panels to capture an impressive amount of sunlight for its relatively small size. If you're looking for a higher-capacity backpacking solar panel, a super portable panel to charge at base camp, or simply need an affordable solar panel to harness energy from the sun, you should check out this model. Don't bypass our favorite portable solar charger, the BigBlue SolarPowa 28, which is only a few dollars more for faster charging speed and better functionality.
The FlexSolar 40W is a high-output, easy-to-use charger that can quickly unfold from the size of a large book into six linked solar panels. This medium-capacity panel has a DC output that can charge portable power stations, as well as USB-C and USB-A outputs for smaller devices. For its medium-sized capacity, it is relatively portable and folds up quite small. It doesn't use any clasps, magnets, or velcro to secure close, which makes unfolding this into a large six-panel array a cinch. And those six panels put out a lot of power, then fold away just as quickly.
While the FlexSolar 40W does fold down into a very small size, it's not the lightest panel we tested either. It weighs just shy of three pounds. That's nearly twice the weight of some other 20-30-watt panels, though less than many 50+ watt panels. There are no covers for the charging ports, so those USB and DC outputs are susceptible to dirt and debris. This hasn't been an issue for us yet, but we'll keep you posted if it does. If you're looking for a midsized option that can power larger devices yet still remain very portable, this is a great choice. Another option we like is the X-Dragon 20W. It's great if you're looking to go small and light, and it will save you some money.
The BioLite Solar Panel 100 is the most portable 100-watt solar panel for camping we've found. This model is lighter, thinner, and more packable than most large-capacity models we tested. You can easily slide this into your trunk, with plenty of room to spare for all your gear. It has a comfortable built-in carry handle and zipper pouch, which makes it painless to haul this to your solar charging station at camp. It unfolds in a snap and has two pop-out legs to complete the setup in seconds. With a handy sundial, you can more easily angle this panel directly at the sun, and it's easy to daisy-chain together with more BioLite panels to grow your charging station capacity.
While the BioLite 100 has great portability features, it isn't the most efficient panel in terms of energy conversion. It'll definitely power your small devices better than many panels, proving itself just above average in our testing. This is also one of the more expensive panels we've seen. But it has tons of great user-friendly features and is super portable, which makes up for the just-okay charging speeds and the higher price tag. If you value performance over portability, take a look at some of our other top-scoring models, like the Jackery SolarSaga 100 or the EcoFlow 110.
The EcoFlow 110 packs an impressive amount of charging capabilities into a small and lightweight design. This 110-watt solar panel charged our devices impressively fast, even among stiff competition from the other large panels we tested, on both bright sunny days and in gloomy overcast conditions. It folds four times and comes with a zippered carrying case, which makes it easy to bring with you wherever you're setting up your solar charging station. This is also one of just two large solar panels we tested that is completely waterproof, so you can set it up and not worry about a little rain rolling through.
Just about everything about the EcoFlow 110 is great. However, it is one of the few models we reviewed that doesn't include all the necessary cables, adding to its already above-average price. We also aren't huge fans of using the carrying case as a sort of kickstand to angle the panel towards the sun. Unlike other models with legs, this design saves a little weight but is far less stable and secure. Nevertheless, we found the all-weather efficiency and protections this panel offers impressive. If you prefer a sturdier waterproof option, check out the Renogy 100W Foldable. It is quite heavy, but the adjustable legs help keep it stable.
The Renogy 100W Foldable boasts a sturdy aluminum frame and legs, making it an impressively solid product. It's just as rigid and sturdy as a panel you'd install on your house — but has a single hinge for transport. Compared to the many thin, slightly bendable solar chargers we've tested, this one feels just about bombproof. Though it's tempting to mount this waterproof beast to the roof of our van, it also has seriously sturdy, fully adjustable angling legs that help it angle precisely into the sun no matter where it is in the sky (or behind the clouds). If that's not enough, this panel put up some of the best energy efficiency results across all the models we tested, rain or shine.
Of course, this durability comes at a cost, and for the Renogy, that cost is portability. Weighing in at over 21 pounds, this is one of the heaviest portable solar panels we've tested. However, if you're setting up a longer-term base camp, putting this hefty panel in place once and simply rotating it to follow the sun may not be a dealbreaker for you. If you want a solar charger that can withstand the test of time and the raging of the weather, this is the one for you. Those who prefer a lightweight option without sacrificing a waterproof design should check out the EcoFlow 110.
The BioLite SolarPanel 5+ is a 5-watt solar panel with a small 3,200 mAh battery bank built into its ultralight portable design. We tested a lot of battery banks with an integrated solar panel, but most of those don't work very well to charge via sunlight. This is the only solar panel with an integrated battery that has relatively fast charging speeds. It's one of the few portable solar panel models that also has a kickstand leg and one of even fewer with an integrated sundial to take the guesswork out of pointing it directly at the sun.
To its benefit, this panel is lightweight and portable, but it's certainly not the most efficient solar panel we tested. Still, this 5-watt panel is more powerful than the other battery banks with an integrated solar panel that we've seen (many of which generate so little power that it's nearly undetectable). If you're after maximum solar efficiency, you're better off purchasing a larger panel, like the Jackery SolarSaga 100. However, for an extremely portable solar charger option with an integrated battery bank, the BioLite SolarPanel 5+ is our top pick.
We make sure to test every panel side by side to ensure they're experiencing identical conditions.
Credit: Sam Schild
How We Test Solar Chargers
Since 2013, we've tested well over 100 different solar chargers and solar panels of varying sizes and capacities. We've used solar collectors of all shapes and sizes for everything from powering our laptops while overlanding to powering an electric bike. For this review, we compiled test results from all the most popular and most promising models currently available, all purchased at retail prices from many of the same popular merchants you likely shop at. Our teams tested and rated all these panels and chargers for different qualities depending on the type of panel and its intended use. We tested their charging speeds in direct sunlight and in overcast conditions, evaluated their portability, explored the bounds of their functionality, and pored over every detail. We hooked them up to portable power stations, our smartphones, laptops, and anything else that needed power. We camped, we hiked, we typed, and we loaded them into our vehicles and backpacks. In short, we put all these solar chargers through the wringer to find the best of the best.
A good solar camping setup involves the right solar panel to charge your tech.
We tested all kinds and capacities of portable solar chargers.
We tested the actual output of every panel during peak sun with a voltameter.
Each panel was subjected to consistent conditions to ensure we could compare them apples to apples.
Why Trust GearLab
The test team for this review is led by Sam Schild with James Lucas contributing. Sam is an outdoor lover of adventure who has spent countless nights camping far, far away from the power grid. He's an avid thru-hiker who has completed several long-distance trails and has crossed the country multiple times on bicycle. His first experience using a solar panel while camping was a small battery pack with an integrated solar panel that he used bike touring. Solar panels have come a long way since that fateful tour. When he's not adventuring far and long, he's often camping somewhere in Colorado or across the American Southwest, based out of his minivan, where his solar camping setup keeps all his technology charged so he can stay connected.
James spends hundreds of days outside every year documenting the outdoors and testing gear while traveling around his home in Boulder, Colorado, and where his heart is, in the Sierra. From working out of his van in the dispersed sun of the Rockies to base camping on top of sunny El Capitan in Yosemite, James uses solar panels from large to small to harness the sun and power his adventures, charging his camera gear and his connection to the world. GearLab and James performed rigorous testing on all the models in the thorough portable solar charger review.
We tested these solar panels in a side-by-side charging speed test.
Credit: Sam Schild
How To Choose the Best Solar Charger for You
Choosing the right solar device for your needs and intended use is very important. There's a big difference between a massive unfolding set of solar panels for camping and a small, lightweight, portable solar charger for backpacking, and that difference is size and weight.
If you're going to be carrying a solar panel on your back, you obviously want it to be small and lightweight. But if you're going to load it into your car, weight isn't as much of an issue. But the smaller the solar panel, the less energy it will produce, which translates to slower charging times.
There are also differences in useability between many solar chargers. Some models are easy to use and easy to set up, while others take a little more experience and maybe some head-scratching to start powering your devices. We'll walk you through all the different types of non-permanent solar panels available to help you decide what's best for you.
What Do You Want To Do With Your Solar Power?
Before choosing a solar charger, you should determine what you want to charge with it and where you want to take it. If you want to power a large power station for boondocking or powering your battery bank at base camp, you'll want a larger, higher-watt solar panel. If you're simply trying to keep your phone charged in the backcountry, you won't need to buy as big of a panel because you don't need as much wattage to charge small electronic devices like a smartphone.
We found that larger panels work better than the smaller ones we tested, so you're often better off carrying a bigger one unless you seriously need to shed ounces.
Credit: Sam Schild
Portable Solar Chargers
The best portable solar chargers prioritize size, weight, and packability over all else. These smaller models are designed to charge electronic devices with lower energy needs, like cell phones and smartwatches. But if you're trying to charge something that takes a lot of power, they won't work as well. A portable solar panel generally has fewer solar cells, which translates to less power converted from sunlight to electrical energy or watts. The overall scores for each portable panel we tested are shown in the chart below.
Portable solar chargers balance packability and charging capacity.
Credit: Sam Schild
Solar Panels For Camping
Solar panels for camping are generally larger than portable models. They also have a higher capacity to convert sunlight into energy. The chart below shows the overall score for each model we tested.
While many of these solar chargers are designed to be packed and unpacked to set up anywhere, they're typically not portable enough to throw in your backpack with a tent and sleeping bag when you're hitting the trail. However, solar panels for camping are portable enough to pack in the trunk of your car, truck, or van. They also usually include some way to carry them from your car to wherever you build your solar charging station. Still, they're definitely heavier than you'd want to carry for long distances.
Larger solar panels can pull more power even in lower light conditions but sacrifice varying levels of portability.
Credit: Sam Schild
Solar Charger and Battery Bank
Some portable solar panels also have an integrated battery bank. These chargers are usually designed to be used more like a portable battery pack and less like a solar panel because the solar panel often isn't big enough to reliably generate a lot of power from the sun. The panel will work in a pinch, but it can be slow to charge the integrated battery. You're often better off charging a model with an integrated battery bank at home before your trip than using the panel to top off as you go if needed.
Battery banks with an integrated solar panel are the most portable and also have energy storage capacity.
Credit: Sam Schild
What Else to Look for in a Solar Charger
Once you've figured out the type of solar panel that will fit your needs, looking at specific features of different individual models will help you narrow down the field.
Solar Panel Size
Choosing the right solar charger size depends on how much space you have to store it and set it up. A bigger solar panel will generally have a higher watt output, which means you can convert more energy from the sun. And more energy from the sun means faster charging speeds for your devices. A smaller-sized solar panel will be easier to carry, though. If you will be backpacking with your charger, we recommend getting as small of a panel as possible that will still generate enough power for your needs. If you're not going to carry your solar charger long distances, a larger size will generate more power for keeping more and larger electronics running while you're out.
When car camping, a larger solar charger is a good thing, but for backpacking you'll probably want a smaller solar panel.
Credit: Sam Schild
Solar Charger Watts
The number of watts that a solar panel can create correlates with its size. Generally speaking, more solar cells mean more watt output. Watt output is much like solar panel size, as you can see.
General Wattage Guidelines
Most solar chargers fall into these general watt ranges:
1 watt to 10 watts: Most battery packs with an integrated solar panel. These are ideal for throwing in your backpack to charge your electronics while hiking and backpacking.
10 watts to 20 watts: Most of the smallest solar panels without an integrated battery. These are best for charging small devices or a separate battery pack while hiking, backpacking, or traveling.
20 watts to 30 watts: Many of the portable solar chargers we tested here fall into this wattage range. 20 to 30-watt chargers are great for faster charge speeds while still being relatively portable.
30 watts to 50 watts: You'll see even faster charging speeds in this range. These are ideal for charging multiple devices or larger electronics like laptops or tablets. However, some are a bit too bulky and heavy for most backpackers' preferences.
50 watts to 100 watts: Some of the largest-sized panels that don't need to be permanently installed somewhere fit in this range. These larger-capacity panels are ideal for charging a large power station when camping or boondocking.
100 watts or more: These are the largest solar chargers that you can still pack away to move. They're the best energy-intensive devices and have fast charging speeds to keep your large battery banks or power stations full.
A 110-watt panel is best for charging a large power station when off-grid camping.
Credit: Sam Schild
Direct Solar Charging Speed
Direct solar charging speed measures how quickly a solar panel will charge electronic devices. The primary purpose of a solar panel is to efficiently transform sunlight into usable energy. Therefore, we placed a lot of emphasis on direct solar charging speed in our testing. If a solar charger doesn't perform optimally under direct sunlight, it might not even be worth using.
Direct solar charging speed is one of the most important things to consider when choosing a solar charger.
Credit: Sam Schild
Indirect Solar Charging Speed
You don't always have ideal blue skies and sunny days when using a solar panel, so we also tested how well a solar panel performs in cloudy conditions. Most solar panels don't work as well in partial or indirect sun, but they still generate some power. Some panels are more efficient than others in indirect sun, so this is also worth considering when looking at solar chargers.
We tested indirect solar charging speed using a thin white sheet suspended above every panel. While this isn't exactly the same as using them in cloudy conditions, we used this test to ensure we could reproduce the exact same conditions every time we test these solar chargers. During a cloudy hour in Colorado, we found that our test sheet actually prevented more solar energy from reaching the panels than during overcast conditions.
We tested indirect solar charging speed using a thin white sheet suspended above the solar chargers.
Credit: Sam Schild
Portability
None of the solar panels we tested here are designed to be permanently mounted to a roof, so they're all at least somewhat portable. But some chargers are certainly lighter and smaller than others. Small and light solar panels are more portable than big panels, but those bigger panels will generate more power than something more portable.
We considered the packed size and weight of every charger when testing portability. We also looked at other features, like carrying handles and protective cases, when testing portability. You'll likely be transporting your solar charger often, so portability is key.
Most of the solar chargers we tested are portable, but some are more portable than others.
Credit: Sam Schild
Functionality
Functionality measures how easy it is to use the charger. When testing functionality, we asked ourselves, “How user-friendly is this panel?”
Functionality is a broad metric but an important one. We tested things like ease of setup, cable integration and storage, fold-out supports to angle the panel at the sun in the mornings or evenings, and anything else that makes a solar charger function well during real-world testing.
A solar charger is more functional if you can angle it at the sun with integrated kickstand legs.
Credit: Sam Schild
Multiple Device Charging
Many solar-powered devices can reliably charge more than one device at the same time. This is important if you'll be sharing power among a group of people or have lots of tech to keep powered. Some solar chargers only have one power output, so they can't charge multiple devices at once.
Many solar chargers have the capability to charge multiple devices at once, but not all do.
Credit: Chris McNamara
Many chargers will charge multiple devices at once, but they'll charge those devices slower than they'd charge a single item. If you need a lot of reliable power, multiple-device charging is something to consider. Remember, though, if you're using a solar charger to charge a portable power station, that device likely has multiple device charging capabilities as well.
Stopping to recharge our batteries on a bike ride.
Credit: Sam Schild
Conclusion
This guide should help make your solar charger-buying decision easier. This list of solar panels and chargers is the best of the best, fully tested by the GearLab team, so you can't go wrong with any of these. Choose the one that fits your needs the best so you can return to adventuring. Rest assured that we'll keep buying, using, and reviewing the best solar chargers in the industry to keep this list current.
